Genesis 20
20:1 I wonder what made Abraham travel. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, or something else?
20:2 Lesson from last time not learned. And she's what, 99 years old?
20:3 God stepped in to rescue Sarah since Abraham didn't bother protecting her.
20:8 Abimelech and company have a healthy fear of God.
20:11 Abraham's reasoning was that there was no fear of God, even though we know from Abimelech's actions after the dream, that Abrahams presupposition was false.
20:14-15 Abimelech lets them stay, and pays Abraham.
20:17 Interestingly enough, what Abraham had to pray to heal Abimelech's household of (the curse for taking in Sarah), was infertility - the same thing that Sarah has.
21:2 I wonder if Isaac was born while they lived in Abimelech's country. It must be so.
20:6 Sarah is enjoying being a mother.
20:8 I think research says he was somewhere between 3 and 6 years old? (normal "weaning" age?)
20:10 Now that Sarah has a child, she's not going to tolerate the presence even of Abraham's other child.
20:12 Abraham had gotten in trouble for listening to his wife and taking Hagar, but here God tells him to listen to Sarah and send away Hagar and Ishmael.
20:15 First of all, wasn't Ishmael an older teen by this time? He was 13 when he was circumcised, right? He should have been caring for his mother, not his mother putting him under a bush. Second, what's the purpose of the bush? My best guess is protection from wild animals? Again, doesn't he know how to hunt by now? This is interesting to me.
20:18 He really was probably going to die since Hagar had to help him up.
20:20 He became an archer.
20:23 Abimelech is making it a poitn to find favor with Abraham - he must have been pretty powerful.
20:30 Abraham gives seven lambs to Abimelech as proof that the well belongs to Abraham. He's buying the rights to dig.
20:33 Abraham plants a tree and calls on God. This is a new name for God, the Everlasting God, isn't it?
22:1 Remember back when Abraham believed God that he would have a son, and God counted it to him as righteousness? That's when Romans says Abraham was justified before God. This chapter, then, is where Abraham is justified before men. He proves his commitment and visibly trusts God.
20:2 Isaac is now referred to as Abraham's only son.
20:4 they had to walk more than three days just to make a sacrifice.
20:6 Isaac carried the wood up the mountain that he was to be sacrificed on.
20:7 Isaac has figured out that something isn't right.
20:8 Abraham answers truthfully, but not truthfully. Doesn't Hebrews say that Abraham figured God could/would raise Isaac from the dead?
20:9 Abraham was over 110. How old was Isaac? I'm pretty sure almost all of my kids could outrun me. I suspect somehow that Isaac submitted to this, or that Abraham used some trickery...
20:10 Abraham did intend to go through with it.
20:12 Abraham feared God more than being childless.
20:14 The Lord will Provide - became the name of the mountain.
20:16-18 It's interesting to me that the promise is still the same. Abraham performed this great feat of faith - almost killing his son - and God gives the same promise that he'd already given and wasn't conditional. I think the "Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies" part is maybe new? All the nations of the earth are blessed and have been blessed by Abraham's offspring. They are blessed to be a blessing. So are we.
20:19 Did Abraham move to Beer-sheba, or is this where Abimelech was? (Looked back - it's the place that Abraham dug the well. So he didn't move).
20:20-24 We get caught up on Abraham's brother, where Isaac's wife will come from. It's like foreshadowing.
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